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Screen tourism has turned television and film settings into some of the most visited travel destinations in the world, and Georgia’s transformation into The Walking Dead’s outbreak-ravaged setting is one of the clearest examples. Senoia’s Main Street became Woodbury, downtown Atlanta doubled as ground zero for the outbreak, and the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre stood in for the Centres for Disease Control, drawing fans who wanted to walk through scenes they had only watched from the sofa.
The same pull that sends fans to Senoia sends travellers across the Atlantic to Ireland, where the real Seven Kingdoms, a Jedi’s rocky hideaway, and the coastal roads from Normal People and The Banshees of Inisherin draw visitors for exactly the same reason. At ConnollyCove, we cover this side of screen tourism in depth, from Belfast’s Game of Thrones sites to lesser-known filming spots along the Wild Atlantic Way, and this guide takes you from Georgia’s zombie trail into Ireland’s own.
Where The Walking Dead Was Filmed in Georgia
Senoia, a small town roughly 35 miles south of Atlanta, became Woodbury on screen, and its Main Street is still recognisable to fans who visit today. Downtown Atlanta provided the urban backdrop for the earliest episodes, including Rick Grimes’s first encounters with the outbreak, and the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta was transformed into the Centres for Disease Control for the show’s first season. The Alexandria Safe Zone was filmed in a walled residential development near Senoia. These locations turned quiet Georgia towns into a genuine tourist trail, with local businesses building tours and themed attractions around the show’s legacy.
It is a useful comparison point because it shows how a single production can reshape how visitors see an entire region. Ireland has been doing the same thing for longer, and across more productions, than most travellers realise.
Ireland’s Big Three: Game of Thrones, Star Wars, and The Banshees of Inisherin
Ireland’s screen tourism reputation rests on three productions that most visitors have already seen, even if they have not connected them to specific places.
Game of Thrones and the North. Northern Ireland doubled as much of Westeros throughout the series, with locations across County Antrim and County Down standing in for Winterfell’s grounds, the Iron Islands, and King’s Landing’s surrounding countryside. Tollymore Forest Park and the Dark Hedges near Ballymoney became two of the most visited sites, and travellers exploring Belfast’s own attractions and date-friendly spots will find several within easy reach of the city.
Star Wars and the Skelligs. When Lucasfilm needed an isolated retreat for Luke Skywalker, they chose Skellig Michael, a monastic island off the Kerry coast that has stood since the early medieval period. The island’s steep stone steps and beehive huts were built by monks centuries before any film crew arrived, and that history is arguably more striking than the fictional Jedi temple the island became.
The Banshees of Inisherin. Filmed largely on Achill Island and Inis Mór, this film leaned on the raw, weathered beauty of Ireland’s west coast rather than fantasy spectacle. The pub interiors were purpose-built sets rather than working pubs, but travellers wanting the same atmosphere will find it in genuine traditional pubs across both islands.
Beyond the Blockbusters: Ireland’s Modern Screen Locations
Ireland’s screen tourism has moved well past Star Wars and Game of Thrones in recent years, and this is where a lot of competing guides fall short.
Normal People used County Sligo’s coastline and Dublin’s city streets to ground its story in a recognisable version of modern Ireland. An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl) was filmed in the Gaeltacht regions of County Meath and County Waterford, and its quiet, Irish-language storytelling introduced international audiences to parts of the country rarely shown on screen. Bad Sisters used Dublin’s coastal suburbs, including Skerries and the Forty Foot swimming spot, giving the show’s dark comedy a distinctly Irish backdrop. Derry Girls, meanwhile, built its entire identity around Derry~Londonderry in the 1990s, and its comedic tone sits alongside Ireland’s long tradition of comedic talent, a cultural thread ConnollyCove has covered in more depth elsewhere.
The native talent behind many of these productions is part of the draw, too. Actors including Saoirse Ronan and Caitriona Balfe have become part of Ireland’s cultural profile abroad, and readers curious about the wider context of women who have shaped Irish culture can find more in our guide to famous Irish women.
The Celtic Connection: Why These Landscapes Feel Mythical
Directors do not choose these locations only because they photograph well. Many of Ireland’s most filmed places carry centuries of myth that shaped how people understood the landscape long before any camera arrived.
The Giant’s Causeway, a short drive from several Game of Thrones filming sites, is bound up with the legend of Finn McCool, said to have built the causeway stone by stone. Newgrange and the Hill of Tara, both associated with the Tuatha Dé Danann, sit within reach of several Wild Atlantic Way and Ancient East itineraries that screen tourists often overlook.
Fairy trees, solitary hawthorns left undisturbed in the middle of farmland, appear across the same countryside used in Normal People and Bad Sisters, and our guide to fairy trees in Ireland explains why farmers still avoid clearing them. For readers who want the fuller picture of the creatures and figures behind these stories, our guide to Celtic mythology creatures covers the wider folklore that shaped this same terrain.
“There’s a moment on Achill Island, standing where The Banshees of Inisherin was filmed, when you realise the real story isn’t the film at all, it’s the same wind and stone that shaped Irish folklore for a thousand years before anyone thought to point a camera at it.” Ciaran Connolly, Founder of ConnollyCove
For a closer look at Belfast’s own ancient sites that predate any film crew, see our guide to The Giant’s Ring, Belfast.
Visiting Responsibly: Screen Tourism Without the Crowds
Popular filming locations can suffer from their own success, and Skellig Michael is the clearest case in Ireland: visitor numbers are capped by ferry availability, and early booking is essential during the summer months. The Dark Hedges is best visited early morning or late in the day to avoid tour coach crowds. Travellers wanting the same atmosphere without the queues can look to quieter stretches of the Antrim coast or the Sperrins, which offer similar countryside without appearing in any single blockbuster.
Planning Your Irish Screen Trail
A three-day loop through Northern Ireland can cover Belfast’s Game of Thrones Studio Tour in Banbridge, the Dark Hedges, Dunluce Castle, and the Giant’s Causeway, with Belfast itself as a base. For more time, a five-day route down the Wild Atlantic Way can take in Sligo’s Normal People coastline, the Kerry Skelligs, and Achill Island’s Banshees of Inisherin locations, though a rental car is close to essential for the more remote stretches.
Screen Tourist’s Travel Calendar
| Region | Best Months to Visit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland (Game of Thrones) | May–September | Longer daylight hours; book the Studio Tour ahead in summer |
| County Kerry (Skellig Michael) | Late May–September | Ferry crossings are weather-dependent and often fully booked weeks in advance |
| County Mayo / Achill (Banshees of Inisherin) | April–October | Quieter shoulder months (April, September) avoid peak crowds |
| County Sligo (Normal People) | Year-round | Coastal towns are walkable outside midwinter |
For up-to-date visitor information on Ireland’s film and TV locations, Tourism Ireland’s official screen tourism guide is a useful starting point alongside this guide.
Frequently asked questions:
Where Was The Walking Dead Filmed in Georgia?
The Walking Dead filmed largely around Senoia, Georgia, which became the fictional town of Woodbury, alongside downtown Atlanta and surrounding rural Coweta County. The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre stood in for the Centres for Disease Control in the first season. Senoia has since built a visitor trail around its role in the show.
Can You Visit the Real Woodbury from The Walking Dead?
Yes, Senoia’s Main Street is open to visitors and retains much of its on-screen appearance. Several local businesses run themed tours and attractions built around the show’s legacy. It remains a working town, so visitors should be respectful of residents and local businesses.
Where Was Game of Thrones Filmed in Ireland?
Game of Thrones filmed extensively across Northern Ireland, particularly County Antrim and County Down. Locations include Tollymore Forest Park, the Dark Hedges near Ballymoney, and sites around the Causeway Coast. Many of these are within a short drive of Belfast.
Was Star Wars Filmed in Ireland?
Yes, Skellig Michael off the coast of County Kerry appeared as Luke Skywalker’s island retreat in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and later instalments. The island is a monastic site dating back centuries, and visitor numbers are limited by ferry access, so booking ahead is essential.
Where Was The Banshees of Inisherin Filmed?
The Banshees of Inisherin was filmed mainly on Achill Island and Inis Mór, off Ireland’s west coast. The pub interior seen in the film was a purpose-built set rather than a working pub, though both islands have genuine traditional pubs with a similar atmosphere.
What Is the Best Time of Year for Screen Tourism in Ireland?
Late spring through early autumn (May to September) offers the most reliable weather and the longest daylight hours for exploring outdoor filming locations. Shoulder months like April and September bring fewer crowds to popular sites such as the Dark Hedges. Winter visits are possible, but some island ferry services, including to Skellig Michael, reduce or suspend crossings.
Do You Need a Car to Visit Ireland’s Film Locations?
A car is close to essential for reaching remote sites such as Achill Island, the Skelligs ferry departure points, and much of the Antrim coast. Public transport covers Belfast, Dublin, and larger towns well, but connections to individual filming sites are limited. Renting a car gives the most flexibility for a multi-day sightseeing tourism itinerary.
Screen tourism keeps proving that fans want more than a photograph of a famous set piece; they want the story behind the place itself. Ireland’s film locations offer exactly that, layered with centuries of folklore that gave these landscapes their character long before any script was written. Explore more of that history in our guides to Irish proverbs and Celtic mythology, or follow ConnollyCove on YouTube for video tours of these same locations.
